Sometimes the uploading of a camera card on Monday morning is such a pretty moment there are no words to follow. A perfect reminder of where we have been, as well as the golden and crisp October days that are still to come. But mostly, it is good to see all that is right here... right now.
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Somehow, as a bit of a surprise to me, I came in under budget!
Money spent this week - $48.29
Bringing my total so far to - $381.09
Remaining budget - $18.91
I only have time for a quick check in and to say thank you for joining me this month. I'd love to hear how things finished for you, if you have a moment to visit the comments.
I did what I set out to do. I spent less, and we still ate really well.
There was careful planning and lots of time in the kitchen, it all worked out. Though if we were to operate on a budget of "half" on a more regular basis, it would have to be a vegan diet with the exception of meat that is hunted (something my family has done for generations). We lean heavily towards a plant-based diet to begin with so it wouldn't be much of a departure, but the cost of quality animal food adds up fast. There is no way to include the purchase of raw dairy and pastured meat on a minimal budget in our area. For me, vegetables come first.
At this point, I am in need of a market trip, but not to the degree one might expect. Basically, I need produce... but I always seem to need produce! We're out of honey. After plenty of cocoa from the weekend snowstorm, Emily sure would like me to pick up some milk. We are out of that. I still have plenty of beans, nuts and grains that I stocked up on earlier in the month.
The coffee still has not been replaced, which is really fine. Nettles in the morning have been a wonderful replacement.
My daughter has been eating a lot more oatmeal which isn't usually her first choice in the morning, so that has been nice to see.
This was a great month for me. Aside from it being my favorite month of the year, I've spent some time reflecting on many things - finances, scheduling, priorities, this blog. All from a grocery challenge! The energy that has moved in and out of my life over the last several weeks has been a wise teacher, indeed.
I feel a change on the horizon - though it isn't perfectly in sight yet. My family, this blog, me personally... we are all growing and evolving. Sometimes I wonder if what I have going on here best reflects that. These are wonderful things to think about as this year slowly comes to a close.
It's nice to be back here at the start of November, another favorite month of mine. The break was quite good too. I need to remember that.
Thanks again for joining in this month, and for supporting my own quest to save money while still feeding my family well.
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I spent $3.50 this week! One dozen eggs... that is it!
Last weekend I did a pretty big fruit and vegetable stock up, and it all seemed to carry us through just fine. I wouldn't even say we running low quite yet. I will need to get some greens before the week is up though. That is probably it.
Gone are the summer days of delicate produce such as cucumbers, tomatoes and zucchini. Now I have a produce bin filled with turnip and rutabaga, and a pantry basket holding sweet potato, butternut, and red kuri.
Being in the season with vegetables that last longer means less trips to the store. And less trips means less opportunity to spend an extra ten or twenty dollars on something that wasn't planned/budgeted for.
I actually didn't go to the store once, Adam picked up the eggs for me. He's better about only buying what is on the list; I get distracted... ooh, fresh organic cranberries are in!
A few notes and thoughts from the week:
I ran out of coffee this week. I decided not to use any of my precious budget to replace it. Coffee is certainly not top priority. Instead, nettle tea in the morning. My body and mind are much happier.
If you work outside of the home and are having a hard time making all your food from scratch, consider doubling recipes so you can eat one meal twice. I tend to freeze soups and stews so we aren't having the same thing two nights in a row, but I am able to pull a meal from the freezer a couple times a week if needed.
Freezer meals also help to avoid the "let's just go out to eat" budget stretching moments. We all feel like a night off, or the afternoon gets away from us - freezer meals keep me on track during those moments.
Cook things like grains and beans in bulk. Either make enough for the week or enough to freeze some for later meal starters. This will help to cut weeknight meal-prep time significantly.
The savory cashew cream sauce that I refer to is based on this recipe. A high speed blender helps tremendously to create silky smooth nut sauces.
I made Heidi Swanson's Sprouted Chickpea Patties with the following substitutions: parsley instead of cilantro (the garden still has plenty of parsley), and chopped collard greens for the cup of sprouts (I had no sprouts but I had plenty of greens on hand).
Rhonda wrote a great post about cooking from scratch. Menu planning and cooking from scratch are truly the two greatest money saving tips for the kitchen. They both offer the greatest nutritional value as well.
It looks like I'll make it! It seemed like a good idea to stock up on things like nuts and grains during the first couple of weeks. My grocery bill sure did seem high in the beginning, but it has leveled off as I hoped/planned it would. Makes me realize I return to once a month shopping for dry goods and then weekly trips for the more perishable items. I used to do that and remember it helped keep my spending on track.
Because I have a natural foods co-op so close to my house (2 blocks away), I tend to market European style, stopping in every couple of days. Tightening this up a bit and paying less visits to the market will improve my grocery expenses moving forward.
A recipe to share with you this week:
Download Butternut Squash and Apple Soup
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Money spent this week - $3.50
Bringing my total so far to - $332.80
Remaining budget - $67.20
Well, I think that will do it for today. How was your week?
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Let's just forget about the number, shall we? If you feel the number ($400) my family is using this month is too much, or too little... let the number go.
It's about spending less, because I felt there was room (for me) to spend less.
{Homemade tortillas.}
It's been a pretty good week over here.
A few thoughts and highlights from the last several days:
Now, onto the recipes:
Yummy Pintos
Directions:
1. In a large stock add pintos, onion, garlic, bay leaves, veggie broth, and bring to a boil. Skim off any foam that appears on the top of the water, at any point while the beans are cooking.
2. Turn the heat down to medium/high. Add the cumin and thyme. Maintain a gentle boil for the beans to cook. This should take anywhere from 1 - 1 1/2 hours. Just check for tenderness. Stir occasionally. Add water as/if necessary while cooking.
3. As the beans approach being done (still slightly uncooked) add the salt, chili paste, maple syrup, red pepper flakes, and worcestershire sauce. Turn the heat down a little to a simmer. Stir regularly. Slow cook until beans are tender and much of the liquid is absorbed. What liquid remains will begin to thicken.
4. Once the beans are tender and the broth reduces and thickens, check for flavor. Adjust seasoning to your liking if needed. Serve.
These freeze wonderfully!
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Bean, Kale, Rice & Sausage Soup
Directions:
This soup has a simple list of ingredients, but the flavor is rich and complex.
1. In a large stock pot, add the soaked beans, bay leaves and stock. Bring to a boil, turn heat down to medium high and cook for 45 minutes. Skim any foam off the top as the cook. Add the brown rice and continue to cook until the beans are tender. Add a little more water if necessary. Don't worry if the rice is not 100% cooked at this point.
2. Once the beans are cooked, carefully pour the beans, rice and liquid to a large bowl.
3. In the soup pot, saute the sausage until about 1/2 way cooked (using your spatula or a wooden spoon to break up the sausage really fine), add the onion and continue to saute until sausage is fully cooked and onion becomes tender. Add the garlic and saute for one more minute. Drain off fat, if there is any, and if that is your preference.
4. Carefully add the beans and rice back to the soup pot. Bring just to the boiling point then turn down to low and simmer, covered, for about 15 minutes.
5. Add the chopped kale and stir. Cover the pot again and simmer for another 5 minutes or so. Serve.
I don't serve this with cheese but some Italian cheese would be lovely on top.
As with most soups, a bit of resting time (with the heat off) helps to marry the flavors even further. I hope you enjoy this soup, it is a new favorite in our home. You could substitute a few slices of bacon for the sausage. Also, this could easily be made vegetarian but would lack the smokiness the sausage brings.
Money spent this week - $98.43
Bringing my total so far to - $329.30
Remaining budget - $70.70
{Veggies and Soba Noodles in a Cashew Cream Sauce - Vegan}
{An almost daily snack around here.}
It's getting a little close now... but I can do it.
Well, that is about it for today. Thanks to those of you who are joining in, and to those of you who are just visiting and cheering us on. Your kindness and encouragement are truly appreciated. How was your week?
Edited to add ~ I forgot to mention that Emily (my 13 year old daughter) has started asking, "Is this* in the budget?" when we are out shopping. (*Insert any sort of food or special shampoo a young teen might be interested in...) And she is perfectly okay with it if I say no, it isn't. The increased awareness around budgeting and finances is good for all of us.
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